Paul Pedrini was a foot equilibrist, that is, he balanced things on his feet. All types of things. Mostly heavy things.
He was a world champion foot-balancing artiste.
Pedrini was also a big game hunter and on his travels he captured two baboons who then became part of his act.
He named one of them Jerry.
Paul Pedrini and his Royal Zambesi Baboons (National Library NZ, Flickr Commons)
In 1912, during a tour of Australia, when performing at Kings Theatre in Adelaide, he balanced a gun carriage, cannon, and a man – weighing in at over 200 kg – on his feet while lying on his back. The man he balanced then fired the cannon as streamers poured down from the ceiling.
Pedrini toured Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, but sometime during this performing life he became quite ill and fell upon hard times.
Hard times meant sacrifices and Pedrini was forced to sell Jerry to a pawn shop. It was not forever though, as Pedrini returned, but it was long enough to make an impression.
Performing at the Crystal Theatre in Broken Hill in 1913, Pedrini confided to the local press that Jerry disliked even passing a pawn shop these days.
Sources
“THEATRICAL.” Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW : 1888 – 1954) 22 Sep 1913: 6
